Thursday, 8 September 2011

Reasons to join a bike train #3

“A penny saved is a penny earned”, Benjamin Franklin said. It's almost as if he was speaking with the knowledge that petrol prices have reached an incredible £1.45 per litre in some parts of Birmingham. Cycling on the other hand is environmentally friendly, keeps you healthy and is absolutely FREE... Read on for all the financial reasons why you should join us on 22nd September and make cycling part of your everyday routine.

If you are currently a car driver, cycling to work would save you £5 per day for a five-mile journey. If you do it regularly, that's £25 a week that you could spend on language classes, re-decorating the house, or a train trip to somewhere exciting... It's worth exploring all the possibilities and thinking big.

Doing the Banners Gate to Victoria Square commute could save you a whopping £40 a week (£160 a month); going from Quinton to town and back on a daily basis would save you about £1,222 a year! Think of all the things that money would cover: Bills. Taking your family out for a meal every month. You could even get a cleaner or gardener to help you around the house or earn yourself a weekend at a luxury eco-hotel.

Train and bus commuters: switching to cycling would save you a minimum of £30 a month (that's £360 a year) in travel passes.

Joining a Bike Train would give you the opportunity to see what cycling to work would be like and to see just how enjoyable and easy it is. You could then make the decision whether or not you want to make it a regular feature in your day!

At a time when so many people are bemoaning the state of the economy, the grey skies/anti-social behaviour, and the approach of GMT, you could make a resolution to get fit, put a bit of extra money in your pocket and get to know your colleagues/meet new people. All of these things will put a smile on your face!

By cycling to work, you could put that aside and focus instead on getting fit, meeting new people and putting a bit of extra money in your pocket in time for Christmas. At the very least, by joining your local Bike Train you could have a fun day out and meet new people (maybe even find a cycle buddy for every day!). Why wait for the New Year to make positive resolutions and change your life around? If you swap driving for cycling, you could easily save £200 that could go towards Christmas presents or a meal with your family for example.